Papers of John Augustus Bonney, and Bonney family papers
Scope and Contents
The collection comprises research notes compiled by Bonney - begun while he was himself imprisoned in the Tower - from named source materials, as well as graffiti he recorded from locations throughout the building. It includes manuscript draft and final versions of chapters for Bonney’s unpublished history of the Tower of London, which recounts the Tower’s story through case histories of its prisoners.
The collection also contains a diary kept by Bonney during his imprisonment; a list of papers seized by the King’s messenger at Bonney’s address in Percy Street on 15 May 1794; and correspondence, some of which Bonney reused as writing paper for his own research. This correspondence includes letters written in 1807–1808 to Spencer Perceval, Chancellor of the Exchequer, containing suggestions for the regulation of taxes. In addition, the collection holds family papers, including wills and family portraits, an election account book for 1802, and a diary of Francis Augustus Burdett Bonney, 1827–1836.
The records were originally in a single tied bundle, and original disorder was noted. Archival folders have been used to divide the bundle, maintaining the original disorder. Original page numbering could indicate an original order, but there are possibly also both draft and best versions.
See álso Coll-1848 [SC-Acc-2021-0021] which is a notebook titled 'Tower '6' Index'. The notebook records prisoners held in the Tower during the Civil Wars of the 1640s, followed by an index of prisoners - the numbering of which may indicate it applies to the whole manuscript. The accession also includes a note on the life of John Bonney, sent as a letter and dated 29 November 1825.
Basic box list of Coll- 307 (Gen 747 and 748):
- folders 1-12 includes at folder 1) Historical list created 1830s describing collection; then folders 2)-5) contains sections numbered 1-4; folder 6) is a mix of notes with sources, and a list of names found in identified locations (e.g. Kitchen and in Warden's houses); folders 7)-12) then return to contents in the format of sections detailing prisoners, their cases and dates.
- folders 13-20 continuation of sections detailing prisoners, their cases and dates. Contents of folder 16 and 20 are fragile.
- 4 folders:
folder 1) 'Misc Notes on the Tower of London' being a mix of research notes with sources (both books and contemporary letters);
folder 2) 'Correspondence etc' 31 items includes 1) list of papers seized by the Kings' Messenger at J Bonney's in Percy Street 15 May 1794, Order from The Privy Council letter permitting Thomas Furmage to visit Bonney in the Tower and to bring him 'books and papers' 2 July 1794, letters from Tooke, Coates, an unnamed Tutor relating his thoughts on his young female pupil;, document detailing the commission of enquiry at Coldbath Fields Prison (Middlesex House of Correction), copies of letters and reports by JA Bonney to Perceval providing advise on 'Regulation of collection of assessed and other Taxes', advise by Bonney to Don Antonio Eyaralar regarding a libel case; letters fragile document recommending Bonney as Coroner, original label for History MSS, diary of Tour taken in 1805, London to Oxford, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Malvern Hills, Monmouth, Chepstow, Bath to Reading [item number 25]. Contents are in a very rough date order 1795-1807, 1833;
folder 3) 'Documents, Wills, Portraits', includes photographs, drawings, Will of FA Bonney 1877, key of the Columbarium at Kensal Green Cemetery, wrapping used for a legal document created by [JA?] Bonney, portrait of JA Bonney with Tower of London in the background.
folder 4) MS Diary of JA Bonney while in Beauchamp Tower, London 1794 includes Bill for food 5 Sept 1795, Account Book - fragile - early pages are a mix of notes, then settles into 1802 accounts of bills. Notebook 'S.R [Self Report] May 5th 1827-Nov 19th' by FA Bonney - fragile has undergone some repair already.
Dates
- Creation: 1794-1836
Creator
- Bonney, John Augustus, d 1813 (Solicitor and Author) (Author, Person)
- Bonney, Francis Augustus Burdett, 1804-1877, Surgeon and Writer (Person)
- Coates, Charles, c. 1746 – 1813 (English cleric and antiquarian) (Person)
- Tooke, John Horne, 1736-1812 (English clergyman, politician and philologist) (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open. Please contact repository in advance. Access to records in a fragile condition may be restricted.
Biographical / Historical
In 1794, the solicitor and author John Augustus Bonney was held as a political prisoner in the Beauchamp Tower, Tower of London, while awaiting trial. Papers of his had been seized from his business in Percy [Percey] Street, St. Pancras on 15 May 1794. Bonney, described as a 'money scrivener', was subsequently noted as bankrupt in the London Gazette, 22 November 1800. John Augustus Bonney died in 1813.
Full Extent
3 boxes
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Material purchased in 1964, Accession no. E64.19.
Manuscript history of the Tower of London by Bonney purchased in January 2021, Accession no. SC-Acc-2021-0021.
Subject
- Title
- Papers of John Augustus Bonney (d 1813), and Bonney family papers
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk